


Hovering on the Updraught

by circlecross



Category: due South
Genre: Due South - Freeform, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-06
Updated: 2017-03-06
Packaged: 2018-09-28 16:53:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10140251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/circlecross/pseuds/circlecross
Summary: What became of Victoria? Let me tell you a story...





	

Victoria watched as Benton fell backwards to the platform. The sweat from his fingertips cooled her skin as it dried on her outstretched palm. She shivered. She would never feel warm, even though she destroyed all in her path like wildfire. She withdrew her hand slowly. It did not even occur to her to stop the train, pull the emergency cord, go to him, care for him. No. He had failed her. She huddled in on herself, and turned into the carriage.  
No-one looked up. No-one wanted to be involved. For this she was thankful. She needed to reassess her plans, consider her resources.  
She stared out of the window as the train hurtled east. Occasionally the air horn would blast, startling her, but her mind was racing faster.

Ray strained to hear what Benny was saying – a poem? He felt a chill fall over him as his friend lay bleeding.  
“Benny…Benny, stay with me pal,” he took Ben’s hand and blew on the frozen fingers. Why was he so cold?  
“…the fire that breaks from thee then a billion times told lovelier, more dangerous…”  
Victoria had melted him with her dangerous fire, and now he felt himself freezing again, felt icy tendrils creeping through his body, locking his heart shut once more. He hovered, like he himself was on an updraught, felt his wings falter, and felt himself plummeting to earth. He had ridden the thermal upswell of loving Victoria, and now his wings were broken and battered, his flight feathers charred and damaged. Why hadn’t she trusted him? Why hadn’t he been enough for her? Why couldn’t she have stayed? With him?  
He dimly heard his name being called, but it wasn’t her voice, her beautiful voice. He felt, however, that it was important to keep listening to this voice, however faint it was growing. And he could hear another voice. That of someone reciting a poem…

Victoria knew she could return to him one day. She would have to lie low, be clever and play it cool. Cool was not a problem; she was shivering once more. She noticed a man staring at her. This was not so unusual, but this was a self-assured brat of a man, pompous in his ownership of his immediate space, disregarding the comfort of the man he was seated beside, disregarding anyone’s personal or private space. She stared back.  
“Just appreciating the scenery, beautiful” he drawled. His neighbour sighed, and the ghastly man hooched round to dig him in the ribs and chuckle. Victoria smiled, despite herself. Maybe she could make use of him…  
Fraser felt empty. He was awake and in pain, but empty. He knew people were talking to him, and about him, and over him, but he was still hovering, despite his broken wings. The snow seemed to be falling, but no-one was dressed for it. They will freeze, he thought, they are not like me, they cannot cope against the elements. I need to be strong and protect them, I am needed, I have purpose…  
Victoria smiled. “So where are you headed?” she put on her most seductive voice, the one that licked the words, like curls of flame.  
“Ah ah ah, I can’t tell you that, or I’d have to kill you!” The man let out a sudden shout of laughter, which made his neighbour jump. He put his fingers to his lips and shushed her. “But I can tell you that I am trying something new. Brand new. An experiment.” He looked around furtively.  
“Sounds intriguing”  
“Oh yes, oh yes, indeedy. Oh yes, it is.” He clapped his hands like a child. Some of the other passengers looked up and a few quietly muttered “Shut it man”, but the nearest ones were stared into silence. “Do you want to know what our experiment is?” he whispered, so Victoria had to lean in to hear him.  
“Yes. Tell me”  
“We are experimenting with Justice”.  
Victoria drew back quickly. “So you’re cops?” Her heart hammered.  
That shout of laughter again, “no of course we’re not cops!”  
“And”, his neighbour cut in suddenly, “we are NOT discussing our ah…experiment with a stranger. Are we?” he snapped.  
The first man pouted. “I was only gonna tell her a story…Morning Glory”

Welsh put the receiver down. His craggy features gave nothing away. He wondered who to trust. Finally he called Elaine in.  
“Close the door. And the shutters”.  
Elaine wondered what was happening – was she in trouble?  
“You will not mention what I am about to tell you to anyone. Is that clear? Anyone. Do you understand this before I go on?”  
She nodded.  
“A coach from the eastbound express train has been found – well, part of it has. Incinerated, blown up. A brand new compound by the sound of it. We are working on it to find the.errr..chemical structure, you know? It looks like it burnt at a very high temperature, and has been isolated and detonated.”  
“So…why the secrecy sir?”  
He sighed, before continuing. “There were remains of a human. Some. A charred partial skeleton”  
“Is there any way of knowing who? Any DNA? Can we run tests..” Welsh held a hand up to quieten her. He then rubbed his face with the same hand before he spoke.  
“This was the express train that we failed to intercept the other night. The train reached its destination yesterday, minus this coach. All exits were covered and monitored. Hell, we were watching Detroit as well as the Toronto bound train, and there was no sign of Victoria. In short, this may be her. The remains. What is left of her. But I don’t want him to know. And I certainly don’t want Ray to know just yet. OK?”  
“But sir, why not?”  
“Right now, Fraser has got to have something to live for. However she treated him, she got under his skin. He was thawing out a little with her, you know? So we leave him with that hope, that flame, that she is still out there”.  
Elaine nodded. She understood.  
“OK Elaine. That will be all.”

In the hospital, Welsh found Ray in Fraser’s room.  
“Any news sir?” barked Ray.  
“Not yet, Vecchio, but we’re on it”  
“Have you found her?” croaked Fraser.  
“Don’t you worry about her, Fraser, all you gotta think about right now is getting well”.  
“yeah, Benny, just forget about her”.  
“I don’t know if I can, Ray”.  
“You gotta, Benny, you just gotta. Ok? Keep trying, pal”.  
Welsh put his hand on Fraser’s chest. “Son, try and be without her. But don’t forget how she made you feel. All of it. Because she got through. Try to remember that. But don’t rely on her. You got us for that. But how she made you feel…that is yours to keep, son”.  
He stopped, suddenly sheepish and flustered. Ray was staring at him, with tear-brimmed eyes. Ben took a deep breath, and let it out completely. He gave a sad little smile.  
“Be without her. Even though she made me feel complete. I will try. Now I need to rest. Thank you sir”.  
Welsh nodded, and laid a hand on Ray’s shoulder.  
“You should rest too, Vecchio. He is gonna need you to be strong”.  
“Since when did you become the great philosopher, sir?”  
Welsh clapped him on the back and left without another word.

Fraser could feel the warm touch of Welsh’s hand still on his chest. If he looked down, he wouldn’t have been surprised to see a glowing handprint there. His heart felt warm though, against the tendrils of frost. Remember how she made you feel – remember – remember. He felt himself start to melt as the tears began to flow.

***  
Randall Bolt knew that his explosive worked now. And his timer ignition. He knew justice had been done. He gave a little chuckle.


End file.
